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Mendicant Bias and the Great Intragalactic Scavenger Hunt

Ah, it has been a long while since I've wrote something this long. Or crazy. Or improbable. Have fun :-)
A large portion of The Fall of Reach is devoted to the Covenant attack on Sigma Octanus IV. The purpose of the attack was to recover the information stored on rock in the Sigma Octanus museum of natural history. There was some speculation about the attack on Sigma Octanus and the artifact that was discovered there a few years ago, but I think that it is worth revisiting in light of certain information from Halo 3.
Cortana provides some information about the artifact. Most interestingly, it came from offworld, and arrived ~60,000 years before 2552.
[quote] Forty years ago a geological survey team on Sigma Octanus Four found several with similar--though not identical--anomalous compositions. UNSC geologists believe these samples were introduced onto the planet via meteorite impacts--they typically are found in long eroded impact craters on the planets surface. Isotopic dating of the site place those impacts craters at present minus sixty thousand years [/quote]
[quote] I have also, um...coordinated with UNSC's astrophysics department and discovered some interesting bits archived in their long-range observation databases. There is a black hole located approximately forty thousand light years from the Sigma Octanus System. An extremely powerful pulse-laser transmission back-scattered the matter in the accretion disc-essentially trapped this signal as this matter accelerated toward the speed of light. From our perspective, according to special relativity, this essentially froze the residue of this information in the event horizon."
"I'll take your word for it," Dr. Halsey said.
"This 'frozen signal' contains information that matches the sample from Sigma Octanus Four." Cortana sighed and her shoulders slumped. "Unfortunately, all my attempts at translating the code have failed...so far." [/quote]
At the end of The Fall of Reach, we discover what the information on the Sigma Octanus IV artifact was. It was star chart, and it points to Alpha Halo. Later on, in First Strike, Dr. Halsey discovers that Colonel Ackerson has been interested in the Sigma Octanus IV artifact, and that he too had discovered it was a star map. According to Colonel Ackerson's notes, it pointed Reach. When Eric Nylund was asked if there were multiple coordinates on it, his reply was:
[quote] "YES. It's an interesting little chunk of stone" [/quote]
The Sigma Octanus IV artifact is clearly a map to important Forerunner objects. I'm going to say that the Sigma Octanus IV artifact started its journey to Sigma Octanus from somewhere near the black hole, 100,000(60,000+40,000) years ago. It flew away from the black hole at near lightspeed, traveling 40,000 years before crashing into Sigma Octanus IV 60,000 years ago. So what happened 100,000 years ago?
[url=http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Forerunner-Flood_War]Oh, yes, there is that,[/url] but I was thinking of something a bit more specific. Take a look at the penultimate Terminal, telling to the story of the final battle in the Forerunner-Flood war, the fight between Mendicant Bias and Offensive Bias.
[quote] [12:H 20:M 00:S]
I begin this report with no illusions that it will ever be seen by its intended readers. In all likelihood they have already committed [species-wide suicide] with the goal of preserving biological diversity in this galaxy. I must ensure that this information reaches those who must come after. If I fail in this, how can they not regard my creators' sacrifice as anything by [a crime without measure]?
[12:H 19:M 59:S]
Contender AI 05-032/> Mendicant Bias is returning and has the capacity to bring the enemy through the [Maginot] sphere. The crews of my task force are aware of the opposing fleet's size; All data indicated that they have prepared themselves - but with biologicals anything is possible. I will make sure that [malfunctioning equipment] does no further damage. Perhaps its current failure will finally allow it to succeed at the task it was originally created for.
[11:H 15:M 48:S]
Mendicant has burrowed through the sphere exactly where I expected - a direct path from initial rampancy to final retribution. Rage has made it predictable. If the fate of the crew of my auxiliary fleet were not already a forgone conclusion I would rate their chance of survival at [1:1,960,000].
Even though 05-032's declaration of hostilities simplified strategic preparations; I do not expect an easy fight - just one I cannot lose.
[11:H 12:M 09:S]
05-032 was right about one thing: there is only one way to defeat the enemy, and that is to visit utter annihilations on it.
If the galaxy must be [rendered temporarily life-less], so be it.
As Mendicant stated in its report [50,078:H 48:M 12:S ago]: half measures will not suffice.
[09:H 45:M 18:S]
In support of 05-032's original 1000 core vessels is a fleet numbering 4,802,019; though only 1.8 percent are warships - and only 2.4 percent of that number are capital ships - I am outnumbered [436.6:1]. I expect my losses will be near total, but overwhelming force has its own peculiar drawbacks.
Such a press of arms invites many opportunities for unintentional fratricide.
[07:H 36:M 41:S]
My auxiliaries are momentarily stunned by Mendicant's opening move - 1,784,305 leisure craft ranging from [45 ~ 5769 tonnes] advance in hopes of overwhelming my comparatively tiny force. I do not have enough [weapon systems] to target them all.
It is a mathematical certainty that some of them will get through and attempt to board. There isn't a single warship with this first wave. It seems my opponent's rage has left no room for respect.
[04:H 01:M 55:S]
I could have countered its move if I had released my fighters. They are ready but idle; making their base vessels more attractive prizes than targets. Now the first of many waves of commercial vessels mixed with single ships and assault craft surge forward. The first ship from my fleet to be boarded break formation and races into the oncoming vessels - striking one amidships. The cargo vessel's hull splits open and out of it explodes not the expected consumer goods but 31,850 dying warriors.
[00:H 19:M 02:S]
The seventh and final wave of container ships, barges, tankers, and military vessels engage my fleet; another 214,320 ships, many in excess of [50,000 tonnes], engage my seemingly disrupted vanguard. I continue to fight just well enough to seem lucky. Mendicant, or the enemy, has been sending a small percentage of its fleet elsewhere. Good. Let them believe they can seize a foothold somewhere inside the sphere.
[00:H 00:M 11:S]
Despite all its faults, 05-032 has fought remarkably well.
My auxiliaries lay in tatters - more that half of them are now part of the enemy fleet. But just as I had predicted, 05-032 concentrated on them like they were the sole key to victory. Its desire to punish our creators blinded it to the true purpose of my [feints]. I have reduced the combat effectiveness of its core fleet to 79.96 percent. Surely now it must realize that something is amiss.
[00:H 00:M 00:S]
The [Halo effect] strikes our combined fleets. All ships piloted by biologicals are now [adrift].
I can trade Mendicant ship for ship now and still prevail.
[00:H 00:M 01:S]
Of my ships that had been captured, 11.3 percent of them are close enough to Mendicant's core fleet that they can be used offensively - either by initiating their self-destruct sequences, or by opening unrestricted ruptures into [slipstream space].
It is best that our crews perished now; because the battle that is about to ensue would have driven them mad.
[00:H 00:M 02:S]
I throw away all the rules of acceptable conduct during battle; near the ruptures I throw away all the accepted ideas of how the natural world is supposed to behave. I toss around [37,654 tonne] dreadnoughts like they were fighters; dimly aware of the former crews being crushed to liquescence.
For now all my concentration is focused on inertial control and navigation. Targeting isn't even a consideration - I will be engaging my enemy at arm's length.
[00:H 01:M 14:S]
05-032 abandoned the tactic of using derelict ships as cover after [72:S] - It seems that 52 core vessels lost to the ruptured fuel cells of derelict ships was lesson enough. Add another 508 lost to collision, point fire, structural failure due to inertial manipulation, and [slipstream space] induced discoherence and I now outnumber Mendicant [6:1].
[00:H 03:M 00:S]
Mendicant was able to postpone its inevitable annihilation for [106:S] with its attempt to flee. But the last of its core vessels hangs before me now; crippled and defeated but still sensate. I could spare it; carve out what is left of its [personality construct array] and deliver it to [Installation Zero] for study.
I doubt it would have extended the same courtesy to me.
[/quote]
I believe that the key to understanding to the mystery of the Sigma Octanus IV artifact lies in the battle between Mendicant Bias and Offensive. Seven hours into the battle, less than thirty minutes before the Halo Array is activated, Offensive Bias notes that Mendicant Bias has been sending a small percentage of his fleet elsewhere, presumably to establish a foothold somewhere else inside the [maginot] sphere. I believe that by sending part of the fleet away, Mendicant Bias was enacting a fail safe, so that if he lost, he would not be destroyed.
[Edited on 05.31.2009 8:42 PM PDT]

Mendicant Bias is returning and has the capacity to bring the enemy through the [Maginot] sphere. The crews of my task force are aware of the opposing fleet's size; All data indicated that they have prepared themselves - but with biologicals anything is possible. I will make sure that [malfunctioning equipment] does no further damage. Perhaps its current failure will finally allow it to succeed at the task it was originally created for.
[11:H 15:M 48:S]
Mendicant has burrowed through the sphere exactly where I expected - a direct path from initial rampancy to final retribution. Rage has made it predictable. If the fate of the crew of my auxiliary fleet were not already a forgone conclusion I would rate their chance of survival at [1:1,960,000].
Even though 05-032's declaration of hostilities simplified strategic preparations; I do not expect an easy fight - just one I cannot lose.
[11:H 12:M 09:S]
05-032 was right about one thing: there is only one way to defeat the enemy, and that is to visit utter annihilations on it.
If the galaxy must be [rendered temporarily life-less], so be it.
As Mendicant stated in its report [50,078:H 48:M 12:S ago]: half measures will not suffice.
[09:H 45:M 18:S]
In support of 05-032's original 1000 core vessels is a fleet numbering 4,802,019; though only 1.8 percent are warships - and only 2.4 percent of that number are capital ships - I am outnumbered [436.6:1]. I expect my losses will be near total, but overwhelming force has its own peculiar drawbacks.
Such a press of arms invites many opportunities for unintentional fratricide.
[07:H 36:M 41:S]
My auxiliaries are momentarily stunned by Mendicant's opening move - 1,784,305 leisure craft ranging from [45 ~ 5769 tonnes] advance in hopes of overwhelming my comparatively tiny force. I do not have enough [weapon systems] to target them all.
It is a mathematical certainty that some of them will get through and attempt to board. There isn't a single warship with this first wave. It seems my opponent's rage has left no room for respect.
[04:H 01:M 55:S]
I could have countered its move if I had released my fighters. They are ready but idle; making their base vessels more attractive prizes than targets. Now the first of many waves of commercial vessels mixed with single ships and assault craft surge forward. The first ship from my fleet to be boarded break formation and races into the oncoming vessels - striking one amidships. The cargo vessel's hull splits open and out of it explodes not the expected consumer goods but 31,850 dying warriors.
[00:H 19:M 02:S]
The seventh and final wave of container ships, barges, tankers, and military vessels engage my fleet; another 214,320 ships, many in excess of [50,000 tonnes], engage my seemingly disrupted vanguard. I continue to fight just well enough to seem lucky. Mendicant, or the enemy, has been sending a small percentage of its fleet elsewhere. Good. Let them believe they can seize a foothold somewhere inside the sphere.
[00:H 00:M 11:S]
Despite all its faults, 05-032 has fought remarkably well.
My auxiliaries lay in tatters - more that half of them are now part of the enemy fleet. But just as I had predicted, 05-032 concentrated on them like they were the sole key to victory. Its desire to punish our creators blinded it to the true purpose of my [feints]. I have reduced the combat effectiveness of its core fleet to 79.96 percent. Surely now it must realize that something is amiss.
[00:H 00:M 00:S]
The [Halo effect] strikes our combined fleets. All ships piloted by biologicals are now [adrift].
I can trade Mendicant ship for ship now and still prevail.
[00:H 00:M 01:S]
Of my ships that had been captured, 11.3 percent of them are close enough to Mendicant's core fleet that they can be used offensively - either by initiating their self-destruct sequences, or by opening unrestricted ruptures into [slipstream space].
It is best that our crews perished now; because the battle that is about to ensue would have driven them mad.
[00:H 00:M 02:S]
I throw away all the rules of acceptable conduct during battle; near the ruptures I throw away all the accepted ideas of how the natural world is supposed to behave. I toss around [37,654 tonne] dreadnoughts like they were fighters; dimly aware of the former crews being crushed to liquescence.
For now all my concentration is focused on inertial control and navigation. Targeting isn't even a consideration - I will be engaging my enemy at arm's length.
[00:H 01:M 14:S]
05-032 abandoned the tactic of using derelict ships as cover after [72:S] - It seems that 52 core vessels lost to the ruptured fuel cells of derelict ships was lesson enough. Add another 508 lost to collision, point fire, structural failure due to inertial manipulation, and [slipstream space] induced discoherence and I now outnumber Mendicant [6:1].
[00:H 03:M 00:S]
Mendicant was able to postpone its inevitable annihilation for [106:S] with its attempt to flee. But the last of its core vessels hangs before me now; crippled and defeated but still sensate. I could spare it; carve out what is left of its [personality construct array] and deliver it to [Installation Zero] for study.
I doubt it would have extended the same courtesy to me.
[/quote]
I believe that the key to understanding to the mystery of the Sigma Octanus IV artifact lies in the battle between Mendicant Bias and Offensive. Seven hours into the battle, less than thirty minutes before the Halo Array is activated, Offensive Bias notes that Mendicant Bias has been sending a small percentage of his fleet elsewhere, presumably to establish a foothold somewhere else inside the [maginot] sphere. I believe that by sending part of the fleet away, Mendicant Bias was enacting a fail safe, so that if he lost, he would not be destroyed.
[Edited on 05.31.2009 8:42 PM PDT]">Ah, it has been a long while since I've wrote something this long. Or crazy. Or improbable. Have fun :-)
A large portion of The Fall of Reach is devoted to the Covenant attack on Sigma Octanus IV. The purpose of the attack was to recover the information stored on rock in the Sigma Octanus museum of natural history. There was some speculation about the attack on Sigma Octanus and the artifact that was discovered there a few years ago, but I think that it is worth revisiting in light of certain information from Halo 3.
Cortana provides some information about the artifact. Most interestingly, it came from offworld, and arrived ~60,000 years before 2552.
[quote] Forty years ago a geological survey team on Sigma Octanus Four found several with similar--though not identical--anomalous compositions. UNSC geologists believe these samples were introduced onto the planet via meteorite impacts--they typically are found in long eroded impact craters on the planets surface. Isotopic dating of the site place those impacts craters at present minus sixty thousand years [/quote]
[quote] I have also, um...coordinated with UNSC's astrophysics department and discovered some interesting bits archived in their long-range observation databases. There is a black hole located approximately forty thousand light years from the Sigma Octanus System. An extremely powerful pulse-laser transmission back-scattered the matter in the accretion disc-essentially trapped this signal as this matter accelerated toward the speed of light. From our perspective, according to special relativity, this essentially froze the residue of this information in the event horizon."
"I'll take your word for it," Dr. Halsey said.
"This 'frozen signal' contains information that matches the sample from Sigma Octanus Four." Cortana sighed and her shoulders slumped. "Unfortunately, all my attempts at translating the code have failed...so far." [/quote]
At the end of The Fall of Reach, we discover what the information on the Sigma Octanus IV artifact was. It was star chart, and it points to Alpha Halo. Later on, in First Strike, Dr. Halsey discovers that Colonel Ackerson has been interested in the Sigma Octanus IV artifact, and that he too had discovered it was a star map. According to Colonel Ackerson's notes, it pointed Reach. When Eric Nylund was asked if there were multiple coordinates on it, his reply was:
[quote] "YES. It's an interesting little chunk of stone" [/quote]
The Sigma Octanus IV artifact is clearly a map to important Forerunner objects. I'm going to say that the Sigma Octanus IV artifact started its journey to Sigma Octanus from somewhere near the black hole, 100,000(60,000+40,000) years ago. It flew away from the black hole at near lightspeed, traveling 40,000 years before crashing into Sigma Octanus IV 60,000 years ago. So what happened 100,000 years ago?
[url=http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Forerunner-Flood_War]Oh, yes, there is that,[/url] but I was thinking of something a bit more specific. Take a look at the penultimate Terminal, telling to the story of the final battle in the Forerunner-Flood war, the fight between Mendicant Bias and Offensive Bias.
[quote] [12:H 20:M 00:S]
I begin this report with no illusions that it will ever be seen by its intended readers. In all likelihood they have already committed [species-wide suicide] with the goal of preserving biological diversity in this galaxy. I must ensure that this information reaches those who must come after. If I fail in this, how can they not regard my creators' sacrifice as anything by [a crime without measure]?
[12:H 19:M 59:S]
Contender AI 05-032/> Mendicant Bias is returning and has the capacity to bring the enemy through the [Maginot] sphere. The crews of my task force are aware of the opposing fleet's size; All data indicated that they have prepared themselves - but with biologicals anything is possible. I will make sure that [malfunctioning equipment] does no further damage. Perhaps its current failure will finally allow it to succeed at the task it was originally created for.
[11:H 15:M 48:S]
Mendicant has burrowed through the sphere exactly where I expected - a direct path from initial rampancy to final retribution. Rage has made it predictable. If the fate of the crew of my auxiliary fleet were not already a forgone conclusion I would rate their chance of survival at [1:1,960,000].
Even though 05-032's declaration of hostilities simplified strategic preparations; I do not expect an easy fight - just one I cannot lose.
[11:H 12:M 09:S]
05-032 was right about one thing: there is only one way to defeat the enemy, and that is to visit utter annihilations on it.
If the galaxy must be [rendered temporarily life-less], so be it.
As Mendicant stated in its report [50,078:H 48:M 12:S ago]: half measures will not suffice.
[09:H 45:M 18:S]
In support of 05-032's original 1000 core vessels is a fleet numbering 4,802,019; though only 1.8 percent are warships - and only 2.4 percent of that number are capital ships - I am outnumbered [436.6:1]. I expect my losses will be near total, but overwhelming force has its own peculiar drawbacks.
Such a press of arms invites many opportunities for unintentional fratricide.
[07:H 36:M 41:S]
My auxiliaries are momentarily stunned by Mendicant's opening move - 1,784,305 leisure craft ranging from [45 ~ 5769 tonnes] advance in hopes of overwhelming my comparatively tiny force. I do not have enough [weapon systems] to target them all.
It is a mathematical certainty that some of them will get through and attempt to board. There isn't a single warship with this first wave. It seems my opponent's rage has left no room for respect.
[04:H 01:M 55:S]
I could have countered its move if I had released my fighters. They are ready but idle; making their base vessels more attractive prizes than targets. Now the first of many waves of commercial vessels mixed with single ships and assault craft surge forward. The first ship from my fleet to be boarded break formation and races into the oncoming vessels - striking one amidships. The cargo vessel's hull splits open and out of it explodes not the expected consumer goods but 31,850 dying warriors.
[00:H 19:M 02:S]
The seventh and final wave of container ships, barges, tankers, and military vessels engage my fleet; another 214,320 ships, many in excess of [50,000 tonnes], engage my seemingly disrupted vanguard. I continue to fight just well enough to seem lucky. Mendicant, or the enemy, has been sending a small percentage of its fleet elsewhere. Good. Let them believe they can seize a foothold somewhere inside the sphere.
[00:H 00:M 11:S]
Despite all its faults, 05-032 has fought remarkably well.
My auxiliaries lay in tatters - more that half of them are now part of the enemy fleet. But just as I had predicted, 05-032 concentrated on them like they were the sole key to victory. Its desire to punish our creators blinded it to the true purpose of my [feints]. I have reduced the combat effectiveness of its core fleet to 79.96 percent. Surely now it must realize that something is amiss.
[00:H 00:M 00:S]
The [Halo effect] strikes our combined fleets. All ships piloted by biologicals are now [adrift].
I can trade Mendicant ship for ship now and still prevail.
[00:H 00:M 01:S]
Of my ships that had been captured, 11.3 percent of them are close enough to Mendicant's core fleet that they can be used offensively - either by initiating their self-destruct sequences, or by opening unrestricted ruptures into [slipstream space].
It is best that our crews perished now; because the battle that is about to ensue would have driven them mad.
[00:H 00:M 02:S]
I throw away all the rules of acceptable conduct during battle; near the ruptures I throw away all the accepted ideas of how the natural world is supposed to behave. I toss around [37,654 tonne] dreadnoughts like they were fighters; dimly aware of the former crews being crushed to liquescence.
For now all my concentration is focused on inertial control and navigation. Targeting isn't even a consideration - I will be engaging my enemy at arm's length.
[00:H 01:M 14:S]
05-032 abandoned the tactic of using derelict ships as cover after [72:S] - It seems that 52 core vessels lost to the ruptured fuel cells of derelict ships was lesson enough. Add another 508 lost to collision, point fire, structural failure due to inertial manipulation, and [slipstream space] induced discoherence and I now outnumber Mendicant [6:1].
[00:H 03:M 00:S]
Mendicant was able to postpone its inevitable annihilation for [106:S] with its attempt to flee. But the last of its core vessels hangs before me now; crippled and defeated but still sensate. I could spare it; carve out what is left of its [personality construct array] and deliver it to [Installation Zero] for study.
I doubt it would have extended the same courtesy to me.
[/quote]
I believe that the key to understanding to the mystery of the Sigma Octanus IV artifact lies in the battle between Mendicant Bias and Offensive. Seven hours into the battle, less than thirty minutes before the Halo Array is activated, Offensive Bias notes that Mendicant Bias has been sending a small percentage of his fleet elsewhere, presumably to establish a foothold somewhere else inside the [maginot] sphere. I believe that by sending part of the fleet away, Mendicant Bias was enacting a fail safe, so that if he lost, he would not be destroyed.
[Edited on 05.31.2009 8:42 PM PDT]

Makes sense.
I mean, well, yeah.
It does.
I don't have much knowledge on the topic, but from what I've read in this thread, I'm thinking that we may see quite a bit on Medicant Bias in Halo:Reach.
And Merry Christmas.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Steel8Golf
one thing that springs to mind about the firing of the array when its mentioned that earth is just outside the range of the firing array, what if it was JUST outside range... what if mars was within range... and which is why its barren with hints that it was at one point a planet with life. damn you bungie for making my brain think too hard.[/quote]
When does it say that? Terminals clearly said that Earth was within range, beyond the line (Maginot Sphere), which was the safe zone. Thats why the Portal was built, it would be used to repopulate the Earth after the Array fired.

one thing that springs to mind about the firing of the array when its mentioned that earth is just outside the range of the firing array, what if it was JUST outside range... what if mars was within range... and which is why its barren with hints that it was at one point a planet with life. damn you bungie for making my brain think too hard.

At first people said that Mendicant would be in H3:ODST and since he was not shown in the story people started saying that he wasn't, that doesnt mean he wasnt in the game. When you access (sorry if spelled wrong) H3:ODST's version of the terminals (phones) you learn the story of the superintendent. How do we know that the superintendent isn't really Mendicant Bias. Even though he sounds different remember this is a few million/thousand years later and even robot voices have to change. I don't exactly know what his voice sounds like but the description on halo.wikia.com is different than the superintendents voice.
Also I think more of Mendicant may be in halo 3 than we think, in sandbox certain objects will have strange markings on them that look like marathon/forerunner symbols which may be what mendicant and offensive looked like.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] AI Mendicant
A thread dedicated to me?!
Oh you shouldn't have!
[/quote]
I never even knew you bothered with this forum Jedi.
EDIT: Also, someone probably added that based on this very thread. Which is pretty humorous if you ask me.
[Edited on 10.24.2009 4:20 PM PDT]

[quote]right now anyone can add/change any thing they like.[/quote]Which would have allowed you to remove the unsourced sentence. Don't worry, I already did it.
Halopedia's very point is that everyone can correct things, remove false facts and speculation, find sources and tie up the loose ends. We could use people as knowledgeable as you to at least correct obviously false facts, if not add more information.

If I remember, opogjijip, tied in with this theory was your possibility of the ODST's mission in H3: ODST. Obviously we saw no actual evidence of MB in ODST, but that doesn't mean he wasn't there. The ODST LE briefly shows a section of a Forerunner construction of some sort and this may harbour another shard of MB within. Once collected, the next step would be to travel through the portal to the Ark and reassemble the shards of MB that Truth had so far collected.
Is that what you were possibly thinking?
[b] A couple of other (Random) thoughts: [/b]
The Maginot sphere coud possible be the true definition of a Dyson sphere, like Ghost's of Onyx but on a scale that would dwarf anything we've seen previous. (Maybe the H3 LE planetoid???).
It could be possible that if the rock from Cote D'Azur has a star chart that other artefacts may contain star charts as well.
Thoughts?
[Edited on 10.09.2009 3:00 AM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] opogjijijp
This is why I think Halopedia is a horrible website. [/quote]
I agree. It could be a very good source of information if it were more strictly run, but right now anyone can add/change any thing they like.

I've seen it. It doesn't have any sources. I can't find any source that says what Halopedia does. Unless someone can find a source that does agree with Halopedia, I'm going to ignore it as baseless speculation that should be removed from the article.
This is why I think Halopedia is a horrible website.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Tenacious Intent
[quote]Offensive Bias intended to bring the vanquished Mendicant Bias to Installation 00 for study. In order to prevent Mendicant from subverting or harming him, Offensive Bias broke the Compound Mind of Mendicant Bias into its component sections and scattered them throughout the few remaining ships of his fleet for transport. Only a part of Mendicant made it to the Ark. One shard of Mendicant Bias' personality construct array was left on a Forerunner Dreadnought and lost. The ship was later found by the Covenant and installed in High Charity. Mendicant Bias' presence was known to the Covenant and it was regarded as an Oracle. [/quote]
Halo.wikia.com
We do not know where the other shards landed.[/quote]
And where is the source for that information? I don't recall "Offensive Bias broke the Compound Mind of Mendicant Bias into its component sections and scattered them throughout the few remaining ships of his fleet for transport." ever being stated in the terminals. It sounds likes speculation to me.

[quote]Offensive Bias intended to bring the vanquished Mendicant Bias to Installation 00 for study. In order to prevent Mendicant from subverting or harming him, Offensive Bias broke the Compound Mind of Mendicant Bias into its component sections and scattered them throughout the few remaining ships of his fleet for transport. Only a part of Mendicant made it to the Ark. One shard of Mendicant Bias' personality construct array was left on a Forerunner Dreadnought and lost. The ship was later found by the Covenant and installed in High Charity. Mendicant Bias' presence was known to the Covenant and it was regarded as an Oracle. [/quote]
Halo.wikia.com
We do not know where the other shards landed.

This is very interesting and is very plausible. I believe that a game will be made by 343 that is a sequal to Halo 3 and will go into this plot line perhaps explaing the truth about Humanity, The Forerunners, and The Flood.

Upon Halo_tru7h saying that Mendicant Bias is somehow linked with Cortana I remember that in the mission Cortana in halo 3 when you access the special terminal on that mission Cortana appears on the screen and starts telling you some kind of message. During the message you can faintly hear two voices, Cortanas, and another one with a deeper pitch. Also part of the message states that she wanted to protect you but she couldn't because she was stuck with gravemind. But if mendicant is linked with Cortana then in the mission halo in halo 3 (I'm pretty sure it's that mission but not 100% sure) when you find that terminal Mendicant states that he can protect and help you. Is that just a coincidence.
EDIT:Just a thought but in Halo Reach they're probably gonna have mendicant in it instead of guilty spark since guilty spark made his appearance in Halo:Combat Evolved.
[Edited on 09.30.2009 4:00 PM PDT]

I have always speculated about the link between the covie AIs and their link to Cortana. When I came across the Cortana letters, I was once again enthralled in the Halo/Marathon story. (I even went so far as to snag the Linux ports of the Marathon trilogy to go through it again. :D) I only recently discovered the history Mendicant Bias, seeing as how I had only read 1 of the books (don't even remember which one) and my knowledge of the Haloverse was entirely based upon gameplay of the trilogy, but as I read whatever info I could find, I arrived at a similar conclusion as opog, that Mendicant has been the basis for this latest generation of AIs, as well as the covie set. I did not however come up with a method for how he originally came to the humans. the black hole theory/crystal theory fills in that hole for me. Thank you, saved thread.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Talon Karrde 01
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Agustus
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] MoD Trifecta 13
Okay. I have found something new and awesome that proves your original theory of MB having jumped into Cortana's AI when she was in the control room. This is from [url=http://marathon.bungie.org/story/cortana.html#4]The Cortana Letters #4[/url] and I suggest you read all of them, even though they are before the halo series, they click SO WELL TOGETHER.
[quote] "Thanks to this slavishly loyal and humorless AI, I am now sharing cramped space with the circuitry of some hybrid war machine, itself complicated by such useless clutter as a conscience. I do not like sharing. Sharing is for children." [/quote]
Sadly because of the "* The text contains extended characters that are not allowed" Thing, I could not put the whole thing in but this is the only needed part.
The AI of witch MB speaks? Cortana. The "Hybrid War Machine"? Master Chief. MB was forced to be with cortana in hiding after he jumped into her. The thing that I find Mind Blowing? This was released in 1999! 2 Years before HALO 1! And this information is in correspondence with the ending of HALO 2! So 2 years before they made Halo: Combat Evolved and created the Halo series, and 5 years before Halo 2, they were all ready freakin planing it!
See, the thing I love about Bungie is that, unlike most game companies like treyarch, They love to keep thing secretive. I just think it's amazing that they Stretched this little bit of intrigue along for 5 years.
[url=http://marathon.bungie.org/story/cortana.html#1] Click to read all of the cortana letters and the fans speculation that went on before the halo series had even been created.[/url]
[/quote]
Interesting, I'll admit, but highly unlikely. While Bungie does have a habit of being most secrative with their plotlines, they have said numerous times that the Cortana Letters were written before they had come up with the entire plotline for even Halo 1 (at least, the version we see in the game we all know, and hopefully love.) , much less the plot for the entire trilogy. In fact, If my memory serves me, at that point in time, (Two years before Halo released,) The game was still in a RTS format, and if not that, in it's third-person version.
They have said a fair ammount of times that the letters are Not Cannon, (Though they did re-use some of the lines,) and if they do have a reputation for sneakiness, they do not have a strong one for lying, (Only partly a lie for Halo: Reach.)
Regardless of all that, I can almost positively state that Bungie had not Created MB (Mendicant Bias,) At that time, if for no other reason that it is poor buisness to plan a trilogy of such an expensive media as video games, before you even have something close to the final build done.
If these have any connection at all, (which, I have to say, is still rather unlikely,) would have to have been done retroactively, [i] after[/i] the Letters were written, possibly created just to add that bit more of a complicated backstory for Iris.[/quote]
Your correct about them planning that damn far ahead. The answer: They didn't, not really.
To me it seemsthat there is to much there to be a coincidence. There is no other way to explain it so perfectly. Now i like writing, its a hobby. Now for me usualy (kinda wiered) when i write for some reason I always think of an ending [i] first [/i]. Its certainly unique IK. But ill think of a fantastic ending and mold the story to go with it. To me the ending is the most important part.
Now is it possible someone in Bungie thinks in a similar way? Maybe. Now the letters aren't cannon because after all these years with the expanding universe its hard to keep everything in those letters canon. Now the other possibility is that they did make those letters and it made no sense in the series. But after Halo 1 they decided to re purpose the letters. Use lines, etc. This could be some sort of "hint" that they do contain importance. Bungie would have molded the story to make sense with the letters. Also note the one that says "they will be chasing me out of there serves (i think) for a mellenia (spelled wrong)" Cortana is supposed to last 7 years. But again that was thought of later. More evidence that they molded the story to fit the letters.
To much to discard as mere coincidence.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Agustus
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] MoD Trifecta 13
Okay. I have found something new and awesome that proves your original theory of MB having jumped into Cortana's AI when she was in the control room. This is from [url=http://marathon.bungie.org/story/cortana.html#4]The Cortana Letters #4[/url] and I suggest you read all of them, even though they are before the halo series, they click SO WELL TOGETHER.
[quote] "Thanks to this slavishly loyal and humorless AI, I am now sharing cramped space with the circuitry of some hybrid war machine, itself complicated by such useless clutter as a conscience. I do not like sharing. Sharing is for children." [/quote]
Sadly because of the "* The text contains extended characters that are not allowed" Thing, I could not put the whole thing in but this is the only needed part.
The AI of witch MB speaks? Cortana. The "Hybrid War Machine"? Master Chief. MB was forced to be with cortana in hiding after he jumped into her. The thing that I find Mind Blowing? This was released in 1999! 2 Years before HALO 1! And this information is in correspondence with the ending of HALO 2! So 2 years before they made Halo: Combat Evolved and created the Halo series, and 5 years before Halo 2, they were all ready freakin planing it!
See, the thing I love about Bungie is that, unlike most game companies like treyarch, They love to keep thing secretive. I just think it's amazing that they Stretched this little bit of intrigue along for 5 years.
[url=http://marathon.bungie.org/story/cortana.html#1] Click to read all of the cortana letters and the fans speculation that went on before the halo series had even been created.[/url]
[/quote]
Interesting, I'll admit, but highly unlikely. While Bungie does have a habit of being most secrative with their plotlines, they have said numerous times that the Cortana Letters were written before they had come up with the entire plotline for even Halo 1 (at least, the version we see in the game we all know, and hopefully love.) , much less the plot for the entire trilogy. In fact, If my memory serves me, at that point in time, (Two years before Halo released,) The game was still in a RTS format, and if not that, in it's third-person version.
They have said a fair ammount of times that the letters are Not Cannon, (Though they did re-use some of the lines,) and if they do have a reputation for sneakiness, they do not have a strong one for lying, (Only partly a lie for Halo: Reach.)
Regardless of all that, I can almost positively state that Bungie had not Created MB (Mendicant Bias,) At that time, if for no other reason that it is poor buisness to plan a trilogy of such an expensive media as video games, before you even have something close to the final build done.
If these have any connection at all, (which, I have to say, is still rather unlikely,) would have to have been done retroactively, [i] after[/i] the Letters were written, possibly created just to add that bit more of a complicated backstory for Iris.